Electronic devices, such as laptops and desktop computers, may be equipped with a keyboard that provides a mechanism for entering user input. For example, a user strikes a key on the keyboard and, in response, the keyboard sends a signal to the larger system to which the keyboard is attached. Conventional keyboards typically include mechanical switches or other types of contacts that close when the key is pressed. When a key of a conventional keyboard is pressed, the key travels a substantial distance in order to close the switch or otherwise make a contact that registers a key press. Additionally, a key of a conventional keyboard typically is limited to one response that occurs when the switch or other contact is closed.
Because a conventional keyboard key typically travels a substantial distance, the space required to accommodate this travel may prevent thinner keyboards from being manufactured with conventional technology. Accordingly, in one respect, it may be desirable to have a keyboard key that does not travel a substantial distance so as to be able to produce thinner keyboards. In another respect, it may be desirable to have a keyboard key that can accommodate more than one response in a single key. These and other considerations are addressed by the following disclosure.